1925 Daniel Best and Benjamin Holt form Caterpillar.
             1950 Company begins international expansion with the establishment of Caterpillar
             1953 Company solidifies its commitment to engine market with creation of separate division for engine production.
             1970s Company introduces a broad range of new products that would become the forerunners of today's best-selling product lines.
             1987 $ 1.8 billion plant modernization program launched.
             1990s CAT reorganizes into closer-to-the-customer business units. Profits top 1 billion for the first time ever in 1995. Sales double over six year period from 93-98 where profits hit consecutive record highs for five years (93-97).
             Caterpillar Inc is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois and is the worlds leading manufacturer of diesel and natural gas engines, construction and mining equipment and industrial gas turbines. Caterpillar is a fortune 50 company that employs 65,824 people and is one of only a handful of companies that leads its industry while competing globally from a primarily domestic home base.
             Since Cat is the leading U.S. exporter, with 1998 export sales of $6 billion, it records nearly half of its sales to overseas customers. Cat products are sold in 200 countries. The company has an extensive worldwide network of 195 dealers composed of 64 dealers in the United States and 131 outside the country. Many of these dealers have strong relationship ties to their customers, which are shown by the fact that repeat customer sales account for 80 percent of Cat's annual sales. Furthermore the company offers an easy means of buying Cat equipment through is financial products subsidiary, Caterpillar Financial Services. This subsidiary offers financing for Cat products and insurance for not only the company's equipment but also that of its competitors. Currently Cat Financial has 20 offices in 14 countries to support the sale of equipment world wide with plans to e...